Gantos Football Club of Lagos has emerged the champion of the 4th edition of the Victor Ikpeba Football Challenge, sponsored by Bet9ja Foundation.
In the competition to celebrate the June 12 birthday of the 1997 African Footballer of the Year and 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medallist, Victor Nosa Ikpeba, the Segun Williams Ijitola captained Gantos Fc defeated Odogwu Fc 2-0 with two goals scored by Ikechukwu Elvis.
Elvis who scored a total four goals in the competition emerged the Highest Goal Scorer and the Most Valuable Player of the competition.
Emerging champions, Gantos Fc took home a cash prize of N250,000, a golden trophy and gold medals.
Odogwu Fc captained by Charles Apugo, finished second place and losing 0-2 to Gantos Fc. Odogwu Fc got a cash prize of N125,000, a silver trophy and silver medals.
In third place, is Golden Competitors Fc captained by Michael Aluede. They defeated Soccer Pro Fc captained by Chidi Chukwuka 2-1 by penalties after playing a goalless draw after regulations time. Competitors Fc got a cash prize of N100,000 for finishing third place, a trophy and bronze medals.
Soccer Pro Fc that finished in fourth place got a consolation cash prize of N50,000.
For the presentation ceremony, Victor Ikpeba was joined by the Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, Alhaji Liameed Gafaar, former Super Eagles defender, Ifeanyi Udeze and Nigerian sports journalist turned soccer coach, Aikhoje Ojeikere.
For the individual awards; Ikechukwu Elvis was voted the Most Valuable Player and the Highest Goal Scorer.
The event sponsor, an elated Victor Ikpeba said in his closing remarks, that, he will continue to host the Football Challenge in Obele Odan where the competition started nationwide in 2020. He advised that, the political class in Surulere, especially Honourable Desmond Elliot supported by other prominent individuals in the local government should help erect a befitting and standard artifical turf football pitch at the Obele Odan Community Centre, Fujah, a sports facility which was the first to be built in Surulere in 1956. This will be better than the sandy pitch that had been at the facility since 1956. The sandy pitch discourages good football.”
RESULTS
(Preliminaries).
- Young Boys FC 1- 0 Dominion Hotspurs.
- Abe Igi Fc 1 – 2 Odogwu FC. (Penalties),.
- Soccer Pro 1- 0 Steeze Fc ( Penalty).
- Old Boys Fc 0 – 1 Golden Competitors SEMI FINALS
Odogwu Fc 1-0 Soccer Pros FC
Gantos FC 1-0 Golden Competitors FC. 3RD PLACE:
Golden Competitors 2-1 Soccer Pros FC (Penalties).
GRAND FINALE:
Gantos FC 2-0 Odogwu FC.